Various economic circumstances and environmental conditions have increasingly motivated car buyers to buy smaller, more affordable and environmentally conscientious vehicles. Smaller vehicles conventionally have relatively small cargo compartments, as compared with larger vehicles. However, the buyers of these smaller vehicles may still need to transport large cargo items, either routinely or occasionally. For example, a buyer of a small car may need to transport items such as furniture, athletic equipment, art work, and other tall and/or bulky items. Such items will typically not fit within the trunk or other cargo compartments of a small car.
One solution frequently employed by the owners of such vehicles is to attempt to store such large cargo items in a second row or third row passenger seating area. However, this solution may be undesirable because the passenger seats may obstruct much of the storage space available in the second and third rows, thus making the storage of bulky cargo items at that location either infeasible or undesirable or both. Additionally, some cargo items may be unclean or may otherwise pose a risk of dirtying, marking, staining, and/or damaging the seats in the second row or third row passenger seating areas.
Another solution sometimes employed by the owners of such vehicles may involve depositing the cargo in the cargo compartment and leaving the trunk or hatch in an open state in a manner that permits the cargo item to protrude from the enclosure of the vehicle. This solution is undesirable because the cargo may fall out of the cargo compartment during transport. This solution may also be undesirable because leaving the trunk or hatch open may obstruct the driver's rear view.